In this article
- Learn why Kelley Direct student Sue Chung, MD, chose to pursue an online MBA in a boardroom aha moment.
- See Chung’s considerations for the Kelley Direct Online MBA versus a program specifically focused on health care administration.
- Get tips for researching online MBA programs.
Rheumatologist Sue Chung serves as the chair of medicine for Facey Medical Group and the vice chair of the Providence Medical Group Board in Glendale, CA. As a full-time physician, medical administrator, and mother of two, Sue shares why she wanted to pursue the full-time Kelley Direct Online MBA and how she makes it work.
What led you to the Kelley Direct Online MBA?
I made the decision to pursue an MBA program while sitting in a boardroom. We were trying to solve a real-world problem and were having a difficult time. We realized we lacked some strategy expertise that was needed in the situation.
Serving on the executive boards in my practice group and our healthcare system made me realize that I wanted to hone business skills and expand my network to learn from others in the business community—which included thought leaders at Kelley.
My only apprehension with an online MBA was about how I would balance the work with my already full life. But as I researched experiences from other Kelley Direct students, I heard that there was sufficient flexibility—yet the rigor and excellence—that I needed to achieve my goals.
What were your personal goals for pursuing an MBA?
When I first began the Kelley Direct Online MBA program, there were quite a number of personal goals that I wanted to fulfill, including knowledge acquisition. With the sound business sense and strategy savvy I’m learning through this program, I really hope to bring high quality care to the largest number of patients that we serve in our community as possible.
I’m only partially through the program, and I’m already applying business fundamentals and principles in my boardroom meetings, in our finance meetings, and in our strategic work groups. But what I’ve been surprised by is that I’m achieving goals I never knew I wanted to achieve. For example, meeting students in person during Kelley On Campus and getting to know them outside of the classroom has been surprisingly helpful. We’re solving business problems and finding solutions together, and the networking opportunities are just so expansive.
Why did you choose Kelley Direct over a program specifically focused on healthcare administration?
I chose the Kelley Direct Online MBA program because the content starts general and allows you to specialize. It was important to me to have a general foundation and learn from professors who are experts in their fields, even if it was not necessarily in healthcare. That framework has allowed me to meet other students and learn the groundwork before I specialize.
The students in my cohort are amazing. They are in healthcare. They may be executives. But they are in this program to learn from a variety of professors that expose us to all facets of an MBA education.
I researched many programs, but the Kelley Direct program stood out. The admissions team were so excellent and so responsive. While I was waiting for responses from other programs, I was already deep into learning about Kelley and wanting to know more.
What was the admissions process like?
The application process was so simple. As soon as I applied, I received a friendly response. The admissions staff were so helpful and held my hand along the entire application process. They informed me of scholarship opportunities, helped me to find the Women’s Forté Foundation Scholarship, and connected me with cohorts and other business students like myself.
Why did you choose an online MBA rather than an in-person program?
I initially thought that pursuing an MBA while working full time and having a family would be impossible. Being a full-time working mother, a full-time, in-person program was out of the question.
I never dreamed that a top-quality online MBA program was a possibility until I started my search. I found the Kelley Direct Online MBA program online and was so impressed by its reputation.
The versatility blew me away. You have classes that can fit in between your work schedule or in the evening. The program allows you to synchronously connect with your professors and even accommodates students like me on the West Coast.
What has it looked like to juggle an MBA with your other priorities?
Our professors in the program understand that we are incorporating an important online MBA education into our equally important lives. I appreciate that there’s built-in flexibility if you have conflicts.
I still remember one of the professors during Kelley On Campus encouraging us not to let go of the important aspects of our lives. To be honest, when I first started the program, exercise and health took a little bit of a backseat. But now that I’m in the swing of things, I’m able to fit in exercise and study, and balance work.
A big piece is that my family and my work support me. My kids study with me, and my staff and colleagues are cheering me on and exercising the same amount of flexibility and grace with me as the program. I feel like this is a team effort and I’m motivated to get through this with their support.
“While pursuing an MBA, we have work and home obligations that are important to us and simultaneously require balance. Whether it’s needing to cook and sit down to have a meal as a family, a boardroom meeting, an important soccer tournament, or an awards ceremony, it’s important to me that the Kelley Direct Online MBA program allows me to live my professional and home life while pursuing a professional business master’s degree.”
How are you applying new business principles within your healthcare organization?
As a working physician and an administrator, I’m in a unique position where I also abide by the policies and guidelines and decisions and strategies that we make. I’ve really appreciated the attention to understanding workplace happiness and the importance of motivating the workforce in a successful business.
For our workforce, my objective and my passion is to solve problems with the business language that I learn at Kelley Direct to make solutions for today and tomorrow.
It’s easy to think that the measure of successful business is to maximize profits and minimize costs. What we’re learning in our program is that our primary driver should be to keep our people happy and motivated to care for the people that they serve. When you do that with sound business strategy, the profits are secondary and happen organically. I think for any corporation, a good business principle is to make the workplace a fabulous place to be.
I’m becoming fluent in the business language to be able to frame what the problem is and to be able to communicate and articulate a solution in the business context. Working among my colleagues and our caregivers, I hope to be the intermediary to represent what their needs are and be able to create a business solution that makes sense for our frontline caregivers and workers.
I really believe that the only way for me to represent our caregivers and colleagues in the executive boardroom is to equip myself with fluency in the language of business.
What are the Kelley Direct Online MBA faculty like?
What has impressed me the most about the Kelley Direct faculty is that they’re the very same full-time faculty for the Kelley School of Business.
Having dedicated, full-time Kelley School of Business faculty for the online program was very important to me. It ensured that there would be no sacrifice in quality and that I would receive the same renowned Kelley School of Business education. The faculty are published and teach as thought leaders in the business industry. Their case studies and lectures are always up to date, and they’re addressing current-day business problems that are arising and evolving.
Even though we are remote, we are connecting live with video turned on. We work together in groups, and our professors are available to us about any questions. If I email a professor and have a question, they are prompt and respond right away.
The Kelley Direct faculty were available to us during our Kelley On Campus experience, and through immersion experiences. Every professor has their area of interest and is available to students that also have similar areas of interest.
And our professors put so much work into their curriculum and their courses. They have pre-recorded videos and coursework to prepare for—and help us get the most out of—live sessions. The pre-recorded videos help us to learn and process new information, so we can enjoy a more dynamic atmosphere during live sessions where we’re solving a problem together. It helps to directly apply what we’re learning.
Inevitably, there may be a work meeting, a board meeting, or an important soccer event that pulls me away from a live session. Our professors are very understanding if there’s a conflict. I can very easily access the live course immediately afterwards, and the syllabus and the coursework are very clear. You don’t miss a step.
Kelley gets the big picture right, but also the little details. Everything, starting from pre-admission, is managed in-house, and it creates a seamless interactive experience.
What connections have you made with fellow Kelley Direct students?
The community and the cohort of students is incredible. Many of the students are very accomplished and very bright. Because they’re entrepreneurial, they are constantly creating communities, WhatsApp groups, and networking events.
I’ve lived most of my life in the West Coast, and it was very important for me to take myself outside of my West Coast comfort zone and meet others. I wanted to learn about the culture of the Kelley Direct Online MBA program, and I’ve been met with Midwestern hard work ethic, hospitality, and practicality. It’s been wonderful.
Every class and every project are new opportunities to work with a new group and connect with new people. My cohort is from all over the United States, and a few are international. I love that I meet students from different industries, and we work together across time zones. Coming together to work on the same problem in a moment in time has been so much fun.
At Kelley Direct, you really will learn from the best and with the best.